‘You will never be her’: Fans think Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen from ‘Snow White’ is no match for this iconic version

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best Evil Queen of them all? With the trailer for Disney’s live action Snow White directed by Marc Webb out, the first reactions to Rachel Zegler’s Snow White and Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen act are all over the internet. Per usual, it’s a mixed bag, but there’s one strong sentiment amongst fans—we’ve had a better Evil Queen on screen.

For one, Gadot’s Evil Queen doesn’t seem to be emoting well with her face. While her overall look and costume is a replica of the animated version, with the face pulled taut under the black headgear that she sports, it seems as if that’s making her unable to express any emotions that she might be feeling in the scene. She does look cold and calculating, but not menacing and evil enough. 

And because of this, fans can’t help but compare Gal Gadot’s Evil Stepmother to another they’ve seen on screen and absolutely loved. Yeah, yeah, it’s none other than Lana Parilla’s Evil Queen Regina from ABC’s fantasy TV series Once Upon A Time.

How do I even begin to explain Regina? Lana Parilla’s Evil Queen act on Once Upon A Time, opposite Ginnifer Goodwin’s Snow White, is flawless. Since she isn’t tied down to a certain look, Parilla’s Regina in the show goes on to don elaborate, often lofty hairstyles with her raven hair, along with dark lined eyes, and darker lipstick shades like red, plum, and even black. She’s dressed in bejewelled corsets, sharp silhouettes, cloaks with high, feather or fur-lined collars, and extravagant choker necklaces and headgears. When I tell you this Queen Regina is a fashion icon, believe it.

But it isn’t just her appearance that makes Lana Parilla the best Evil Queen. It’s the dramatic flair and flamboyant expressions with which she wields her character’s evil-ness. She wears her rage on her sleeve, and is always ready to cast an evil curse that would destroy the kingdom. But she’s also sassy, and her dialogue delivery is something you can listen to all day, even when she says the most cruel, evil things! Parilla played both the Evil Queen Regina and the Mayor of Storybooke, Regina Mills. And even though she had a redemption arc and became one of the heroes later in the series, her sass persisted and her Evil Queen remained iconic.

Fans took to X to voice their love Parilla’s Evil Queen, saying nothing will ever match what she brought to the character, and Disney should’ve cast her instead.

For some reason, studios think live action remake of animated films, which are also going to be using plenty of CGI and visual effects BTW, are a brilliant idea. And sure, the retelling can put right some wrongs of the original, which might’ve been problematic courtesy of being a product of its time. But how about getting the casting for the characters, most of whom are immortalised by the animated versions, on point, eh? 

We’ll have to wait and watch the film to see if Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen is able to make an impression on our hearts that already is under the reign of Lana Parilla’s iconic queen. Let the Queen-off begin!